Houston Texans

In a new book written by ESPN's Seth Wickersham, it is alleged that Bill O'Brien attempted to get fired as head coach of the Houston Texans in order to become Bill Belichick's successor with the New England Patriots.

The book, It's Better to Be Feared, is set to be published Oct. 12 and details O'Brien's power struggle with the Texans and desire to return to the Pats.

Per ESPN, O'Brien was essentially trying to get fired by Houston amid a power struggle with general manager Rick Smith in hopes that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would take a head coaching job and he could become the coach-in-waiting behind Belichick.

O'Brien reportedly heard about the Patriots' potential plan to hire him in that capacity if available, leading to his alleged attempts to get fired that were "so aggressive as to be suspicious, as if he knew he had a golden parachute."

Instead, Smith left in late 2017, giving O'Brien more control. O'Brien then reportedly suggested to a confidant that he wished it had gone differently, saying, "I was trying to get fired."

The biggest reason why O'Brien was able to become the Penn State head coach from 2012-13 and the Texans' head coach after that is the fact that he enjoyed so much success as an assistant under Belichick in New England.

O'Brien was part of the Patriots' staff from 2007-11, serving in a number of different roles including offensive assistant, wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. 

After going 15-9 in two seasons at Penn State, O'Brien was hired by the Texans in 2014, and he went on to spend part of seven seasons as Houston's head coach.

While O'Brien went 52-48, won four AFC South titles and made the playoffs four times, he was fired after an 0-4 start in 2020.

The move back to New England never materialized, partly because McDaniels has remained with the Patriots as the offensive coordinator and presumed successor to Belichick.

McDaniels did accept the Indianapolis Colts' head coaching job in 2018, but he rescinded his commitment and decided to return to the Patriots instead.

While the Patriots haven't made any public announcements regarding it, the assumption is that McDaniels returned because he was made assurances about becoming New England's head coach once Belichick retires.

O'Brien may not have secured that dream job, but he still landed on his feet after getting fired by the Texans, as he is now the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Alabama.

The Houston Texans could reportedly lower their massive asking price on quarterback Deshaun Watson, according to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports:

"They weren't open to trade talks unless somebody was going to give them a ridiculous trade offer, more than six draft picks," Glazer reported on Fox NFL Sunday. "They've already been offered three ones and three threes and wanted more than that. However, I was told in the past week, their stance started to soften a little bit with that."

Glazer also listed the Miami Dolphins as an "obvious trade partner" with Tua Tagovailoa sidelined with a rib injury.

ESPN's Adam Schefter previously reported the Texans were "unwilling to budge" on their trade demands.

Watson has been inactive for Houston this season after being accused of sexual assault or sexual misconduct by 22 women who have filed civil lawsuits against him. He would still be eligible to play following a trade considering he is not yet on the Commissioner's Exempt List. 

Watson had also asked for a trade early in the 2021 offseason and does not intend to play for the Texans again.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported earlier this month that trade talks could pick up before the Nov. 2 trade deadline, with the Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos listed among potential landing spots.

The Dolphins appear to be the front-runner with owner Stephen Ross "quite intrigued by the quarterback," according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

The recent reports come after Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve due to a rib injury, keeping him out at least three weeks. The 2020 No. 5 overall draft pick was already falling short of expectations when on the field, totaling just 12 touchdown passes in 12 career games.

Watson would represent a significant upgrade after earning Pro Bowl selections in each of the last three seasons. He led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards in 2020, adding 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.

Even with a lowered asking price, Houston could benefit from the added assets in a trade as the team looks to rebuild.  

Playing on a short week, the Houston Texans have confirmed Davis Mills will start at quarterback in place of the injured Tyrod Taylor against the Carolina Panthers. 

Head coach David Culley told reporters Tuesday that Mills will be under center Thursday night. 

The decision to go with Mills has been expected after Taylor suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday's 31-21 loss to the Cleveland Browns. 

Culley told reporters Monday that Taylor was going to be listed as day-to-day. He also said at that press conference that Deshaun Watson, who has been inactive for the past two weeks, would not be activated for Week 3. 

Per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, Taylor could miss up to four weeks as a result of the injury. 

Taylor was off to a fantastic start this season before getting hurt. The 32-year-old is 31-of-44  for 416 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. He completed 10 of his 11 passes and scored two touchdowns (one rushing) against the Browns. 

Mills was a third-round draft pick (No. 67 overall) by Houston in 2021. The Stanford alum went 8-of-18 for 102 yards with one touchdown and one interception after replacing Taylor on Sunday. 

After Thursday's game, the Texans won't play again until Oct. 3 when they take on the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.    

Houston Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor may miss as much as a month with a Grade 2 hamstring injury, according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the injured reserve list is a possibility for the veteran.

Taylor exited Sunday's 31-21 loss to the Cleveland Browns after going 10-of-11 for 125 yards and one touchdown.

The Texans signed the signal-caller amid lingering uncertainty surrounding Deshaun Watson.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in January that Watson had asked for a trade, raising obvious questions about his long-term future with the team. Then 22 women filed civil suits against the three-time Pro Bowler over allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. Ten women, two of whom have not filed civil suits, have also filed criminal complaints.

The NFL has yet to issue any suspension to Watson or place him on the commissioner's exempt list. As a result, he has been left in a state of limbo. Sarah Barshop of ESPN said Houston could keep him on the active roster but make him a healthy scratch for each of its 17 games.

Davis Mills replaced Taylor in the loss to the Browns, and Wilson reported he will be the starter going forward, with Jeff Driskel expected to be elevated from the practice squad to serve as his backup.

Deshaun Watson will remain deactivated for the Houston Texans' Week 3 matchup with the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, head coach David Culley told reporters Monday. 

That's despite Tyrod Taylor's hamstring injury in the Texans' 31-21 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, leaving his status for this week's game up in the air. 

Culley told reporters Taylor is day-to-day. 

"If he's able to go, then he'll play," he said.

If Taylor is out, the team will turn to rookie Davis Mills, as it did Sunday. It would appear Watson is not in the team's plans while his ongoing legal situation unfolds. 

Mills was up-and-down in relief duty after Taylor was injured, finishing 8-of-12 for 102 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He was sacked once. 

Watson is being sued by 22 different women who have accused him of sexual assault and misconduct. He is being investigated by the Houston Police Department and FBI. 

The NFL is also investigating Watson, though Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported Sept. 11 that the league "hasn't made a decision about Watson because it doesn't have to make a decision about Watson. With the Texans content to pay him to not play and with Watson content to not play and get paid for it, the NFL has no reason to do anything about it. He's already on paid leave."

Houston Texans head coach David Culley told reporters that "we'll have to see" in regard to whether quarterback Deshaun Watson could start Thursday after signal-caller Tyrod Taylor suffered a hamstring injury in a 31-21 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Watson has sat for each of the team's first two games amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations. The fifth-year quarterback has been declared out on the last two injury reports with a "not injury related" designation.

Per Lucio Vasquez of Houston Public Media, 22 women have filed civil lawsuits, and 10 women have filed criminal complaints. Two of the women who filed criminal complaints did not file civil lawsuits, meaning that 24 women have made allegations against Watson overall.

Taylor has stepped in as the Texans' starter in Watson's absence. He led the Texans to a 37-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars to start the season.

The 32-year-old will have an MRI on his hamstring, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, but he will not be ready for Houston's Thursday night home game against the Carolina Panthers.

Taylor limped off the field after his 15-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to help tie the game at 14.

He stayed out for one more series before rookie quarterback Davis Mills took over. The Stanford product finished the day 8-of-18 for 102 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. The expectation is that Mills will get the start Thursday, per Rapoport.

Watson is currently listed as the third quarterback on the team's depth chart. If he isn't active for game day, then the Texans could activate Jeff Driskel, who is the only quarterback on the their practice squad.

Houston Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns and did not return.

After the game, Texans head coach David Culley told reporters Taylor "kind of pulled up" and that the injury was severe enough the quarterback couldn't continue. Culley wasn't sure if Taylor would be available Thursday night against the Carolina panthers.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network later reported Taylor won't play in Week 3.

The veteran played the entire first half of the Week 2 game and excelled while going 10-of-11 for 125 yards and a passing touchdown to go with a 15-yard rushing score.   

Taylor did not return in the second half as rookie Davis Mills replaced him in the Texans lineup. Mills, the team's third-round pick this year out of Stanford, finished 8-of-18 for 102 yards with a two-yard TD to Brandin Cooks and an interception.

Taylor signed with the Texans in March to mark his fifth team since the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. He's also played for the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers, making 47 starts across his first 10 NFL seasons.

The 32-year-old Virginia Tech product opened the 2020 season as the Chargers starter, but he suffered a punctured lung during a pain-killing injection ahead of the team's Week 2 game. Justin Herbert took over the top spot on the depth chart and never relinquished it, even when Taylor returned to full strength.

Although Taylor has never quite established himself as a franchise signal-caller, he's been a reliable option when called upon, highlighted by ranking eighth in ESPN's Total QBR with the Bills in 2015.

The Texans will probably lean even more heavily on a rushing attack featuring David Johnson, Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram II with Taylor sidelined.

The criminal inquiry into the accusations of sexual assault and misconduct that Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is facing is reportedly unlikely to be finished prior to the NFL's trade deadline on Nov. 2, per A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports.

Perez reported the grand jury is yet to see the prosecutors' case in full.

What's more, the league is unlikely to finish its own investigation and institute any type of punishment until the grand jury makes a decision. "The outcome of the criminal investigation will weigh heavily on the NFL's decision on whether to punish Watson," Perez wrote.

Despite the uncertainty of the timeline, Perez also reported at least four teams are interested in a potential trade with one apparently willing to make a deal before the criminal case is decided.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported in August the Miami Dolphins "emerged as the frontrunner in trade discussions," and Houston wanted three first-round picks and two second-round picks.

Robinson provided additional context to the discussions:

Watson is facing 22 lawsuits that "accuse him of a range of actions during massage appointments over the past year, from refusing to cover his genitals to forced oral sex," per ESPN.

An additional two women who were not among those who filed civil suits were included in the 10 women who have filed formal complaints against Watson with Houston police.

While Watson is still on the Texans' 53-man active roster, the AFC South team did not play him in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and listed him as out with a "Not Injury Related" designation.

Tyrod Taylor led Houston to a 37-21 victory.

Most expected the Houston Texans to be one of the NFL's worst teams this season.

Mark Ingram sees things differently. Very differently.

"We don't care what nobody say. It's all about what we believe in this locker room, it's all about what we believe in this building, and we believe we have a team that can be great, win games and be a championship-type team," Ingram said Thursday on Good Morning Football. "That's what we have all aspirations for. If you're not playing this game to be a champion, if you're not playing this game to be the best, if you're not playing this game to win, then you're in the wrong business. And that's what we all believe and that what we're all pushing for, that's what we're working for."

The Texans defied expectations in Week 1 with a 37-21 drubbing of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ingram, essentially cast aside by the Baltimore Ravens last season, rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown in his Texans debut.

The 31-year-old is part of a committee with Phillip Lindsay and David Johnson, a threesome of veterans considered by many as being past their primes. The same goes for quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who is playing for his fifth NFL team despite being a solid starter everywhere he's been given a chance. Brandin Cooks is on his fourth team despite having five 1,000-yard receiving seasons at age 27. 

Odds are the Texans are still going to live down to their expectations. The roster is still bereft of talent in several areas, and veteran guile can only take you so far. That said, this appears to be a team motivated by proving all of their doubters—of which there were many—wrong.